We could see Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda on smartphones and tablets as early as next year, the Wall Street Journal reports, referring to the Kyoto company's pledge to release a few mobile games based on its bestselling franchises per annual fiscal cycles. The report, if correct -- it's sourced vaguely to "people familiar with the matter" -- would be no great surprise. The Legend of Zelda is a cornerstone Nintendo property, far more recognizable to general audiences than something like Fire Emblem, a turn-based strategy roleplaying series that Nintendo brought to smartphones in early February. Or Animal Crossing, its next smartphone game, delayed but currently due by the end of March 2018. That's to say nothing of the whirlwind success of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a novel take on the fantasy adventure series that at last check has sold nearly 4 million copies between the Wii U and Switch.

A little over a year ago, TIME engaged Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima in a wide-ranging conversation about the company's fledgling mobile strategy, its struggles with the Wii U, the rise of its toys-to-life Amiibo figurines and a mystery-cloaked next-gen platform then known only as "NX." Three mobile apps and a sold-out "classic" version of its 1980s NES console later, with a $299 hybrid/TV games console dubbed Nintendo Switch due on March 3, TIME caught up with Nintendo's principal figure to talk Switch, mobile profitability, how he's liking the job so far and more. Here, following our recent chats with Nintendo EPD director Shinya Takahashi and Nintendo Switch general producer Yoshiaki Koizumi, is a lightly edited transcript of our conversation with Kimishima. Tatsumi Kimishima: Mr. Takahashi started out as a designer, and then as far as his career at Nintendo, he really worked with various development teams, where he worked as a coordinator for different environments. He was the guy they would bring in to pull all of these disparate things together. That was his main job while working with development teams. One thing that's a little bit different between [Donkey Kong and Mario creator] Mr. Miyamoto, say, and Mr. Takahashi, is that Mr. Miyamoto is of course known as the father of Mario, as well as for the characters and games he's helped develop. Mr. Takahashi, by contrast, is someone who really covers everything.

The year is nearly over, and I don't think I'm alone in saying that I'm ready to leave behind the dark, twisted fantasy that is 2016. No matter your political persuasion, social status or country of residence, you'll have felt disquieted by events at some point this year. The sheer scale of 2016's failings allows for such blanket statements. Natural disasters, mass shootings and political events have left me buffeted by wave after wave of anxiety. Because of this never-ending cycle of unease, video games have been more important to me this year. Of course, they're always a form of escapism, but in 2016 they've had to function as a kind of digital cocoon. Gaming has been a place to retreat. Whether passing the minutes on a mindless clicker or puzzle game, losing myself for hours in grand strategies and sport sims or taking a long weekend to head out on a fantastic adventure, gaming has helped me. Perhaps that's why I've been reacting to game delays with all the composure of a YouTube commenter. And, God, the delays have come thick and fast.

With five gaming apps planned for release before March 2017, it's clear that Nintendo has big plans for the mobile gaming market, plans which it now appears could possibly involve the company creating its very own mobile gaming controller. So far Nintendo's mobile offerings have been the social media communication app Miitomo and the yet to be released mobile versions of Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing. None of these titles have mechanics that really cry out for controller support, however, notes taken at the company's recent 76th annual general shareholders meeting revealed that Nintendo is considering developing hardware as well as software as part of its mobile gaming venture. Though not the first time Mario ever appeared (he was originally called Jumpman in a Donkey Kong game) but this 1985 platformer on the NES was praised for "resurrecting a crashed American video game market" - it was the best ever selling video game up until Wii Sports took the title in 2006. As the first outing for Samus Aran in 1986, the female protagonist bounty hunter was said to be hugely inspired by Ridley Scott's 1979 horror film Alien.

Nintendo's new Zelda game will indeed appear on the company's new NX game machine--but neither will arrive this year. Announcing its year-end financial results on Wednesday, Nintendo finally gave some long-awaited updates on the status of its promised, open-world The Legend of Zelda game as well as NX, the new game machine it announced over a year ago. They just weren't the sort of updates fans were hoping to hear. Zelda, planned for release on the current Wii U console, has been developed "in tandem" with a version for NX, Nintendo said. Both versions are currently planned to launch alongside NX in March 2017.

Nintendo will launch its first app for mobile devices in the U.S. on March 31, the video game maker announced Tuesday. Interestingly, Nintendo's first app, called Miitomo, isn't a game but a social experience where users interact with each other using Mii avatars, which were introduced with the Nintendo Wii video game console. Users start by downloading the app and creating their Mii with an avatar editor, or using a picture of themselves taken with their smartphone camera. Users can also import their Mii from the Wii or Nintendo 3DS through a QR code. Users then link the app to their Facebook or Twitter accounts to add friends, then answer a series of questions to help spur conversations.

Images leaked online this week give the first good look at what is claimed to be a controller for the highly anticipated Nintendo NX. The device pictured in the post by Reddit user perkele37 supports rumours that the new controller will have an elliptical shape and a touchscreen covering its entire surface. Apart from the touchscreen, the rumoured controller has just two'nubs' and a headphone jack. Images leaked online this week give the first good look at what is claimed to be a controller for the highly anticipated Nintendo NX. The images were revealed on Wednesday, just days after a similar leak showed blurry photos of a device claimed to be the controller.

Instead, the Japanese gaming giant is looking to its legions of cutesy avatars. Nintendo has launched the'Miitomo' app in Japan featuring customisable characters called Miis. The avatars can be created with the app using a smartphone camera and then fitted with virtual clothes and quizzed by other Miis. The avatars can be created with the app using a smartphone camera and then fitted with virtual clothes and quizzed by other Miis. 'Miitomo' - 'tomo' meaning'friend' in Japanese - is scheduled to come to the US and other markets later this year, but Nintendo has yet to announce a release date'Miitomo' - 'tomo' meaning'friend' in Japanese - is scheduled to come to the US and other markets later this year, but Nintendo has yet to announce a release date.